


Through the Looking Glass

by Lightmoon_LightingTheWay



Category: Naruto
Genre: Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Female Uzumaki Naruto, Gen, Kenjutsu using!Naruto, Smart Uzumaki Naruto
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2015-01-28
Updated: 2017-05-24
Packaged: 2018-03-09 10:04:45
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 8
Words: 13,331
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/3245594
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Lightmoon_LightingTheWay/pseuds/Lightmoon_LightingTheWay
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>She stared into the reflective glass, frowning thoughtfully.<br/>"I don't look like a guy that much," she paused, looking unsure of herself, "do I?"</p><p>Naruko Uzumaki had hidden her gender her whole life up until now. After passing her genin exam the world better watch out, because Naruko Uzumaki is going to take the world by storm<br/>.<br/></p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> So to avoid any confusion, when Naruko is alone, and not in her henge I will refer to her as a girl, and when she is in a henge I will refer to her as Naruto. This was written on a phone, so reading it on the mobile version makes the format look better.
> 
> I apologize for any mistakes you may see and enjoy the ride.

 

   She stared into the reflective glass, frowning thoughtfully.

"I don't look like a guy that much," she paused, looking unsure of herself, "do I?"

She asked her reflection, her eyes tracing down the delicate bridge of her nose, taking in the wide blue eyes framed with long lashes, the high cheekbones, rosy and flushed.

Naruko sighed, and turned away from the mirror, intent on getting her daily cup of coffee, dark and rich-just the way she preferred it. She sat down at the small table shoved into a corner of the cramped  apartment, cupping the mug between her hands, enjoying the heat radiating off of it. Her apartment was a messy as always, her spare kunai strewn across the room, her usual bulky jumpsuit thrown carelessly over a chair and Mr. Ukki sitting in his small patch of sunlight leaking through the translucent curtains.

She looked up lazily at the clock-cracked from a recent break in from a series of drunkards intending to teach the 'demon' a lesson. Half past twelve.

Wait...

She shot up, Iruka-sensei was going to _murder_ her. She hurriedly pulled her hair up into a messy bun, the pleasant lazy drowsiness vanished in her urgency to get to the academy. Putting her hands together she henged, and the now boy, threw his orange jumpsuit on, wrinkling his still delicate, but slightly rougher features in disdain at the suit. It wasn't that she disliked the jumpsuit-it was a part of her by now, after all those years and years of memories with the orange jumpsuit. But, she was like any other girls, even after all the time spent under the guise of a boisterous boy; there was times where she wanted to look nice, to be called pretty and complimented.With a final lingering look, she closed the door and took to the roofs.

~0~0~0~0~

Naruto opened the wooden door, peeking in nervously. Please no Iruka, please no Iruka please no-

"Naruto!"

The golden haired boy winced, and opened the door revealing a angered chunnin, his usual kindly look he gave to his students-especially the ever reclusive Hyuuga, gone, and it place of it was a stern look. A look that never failed to coax whether it be fear, or shame in the hearts of students. He looked up meekly, a deer-in-the-headlight look in his face.

"I'm sorry?" He offered weakly; ready to bolt. He started inching towards the door, keeping up his weak grin all the while. Iruka snapped, grabbing Naruto by the back of his collar leaving the blonde haired boy to writhe and kick at the air.

"Sensei," Naruto whined, giving Iruka a glimpse of his puppy eyes-blue eyes wide and pleading, looking up at him beneath his long lashes.

"Let me down," he snuck a look up at the chuunin, "please?"

Iruka sighed, "just don't be late next time," and he set the admonished boy onto his feet and turned back to the black board.

"As I was saying, a shinobi must always be aware of his surroundings, no matter how safe it is always better to be safe than sorry..."

~0~0~0~0~

****  


The class poured out into the courtyards in a rush of chatter and laughter with Iruka leading the way. The chuunin stopped, and fixed his class with a stern look, effectively silencing the class.

"Now, I am going to call out names to pair you up with a partner," he called, and the crowd of students broke out into chattering again, some civilian students clinging to their friends, aghast at the thought of not being able to pick their partners.

"Quiet," and the chattering slowly died out as they looked expectantly at Iruka, "now, the first match is Kagami and Hino," he announced calling out the first pair.

" Maaya and Kyuuki."

"Who do you think we will be paired up with? I hope its anyone but that Sasuke-teme," Naruto whispered, nudging Choji, and the Akimichi boy shrugged, dipping into the bag of chips.

"Shino and Shikamaru."

Naruto looked around the courtyard, his gaze landing on the Uchiha. He met Sasuke's eyes and the other boy looked away from him with a smirk playing on his lips. His eyes narrowed.

"Teme," he muttered under his breath, not missing the arrogant look on Sasuke's face. Naruto didn't like the Uchiha. He hadn't liked him the moment he swaggered through the academy doors looking like he owned the place. And later, during lunch when Naruto had seen how Sasuke treated the girls around him, it only fueled his dislike of the Uchiha.

"Naruto and Sasuke."

Naruto groaned. Of course, he would get chosen to pair up with the teme of all people.

Reluctantly, he stepped forward to face and Uchiha, settling into a familiar stance, which earned him twitters from the group of girls-no doubt Sasuke's fangirls.

"Naruto, you baka," a high pitched voice called out from the front of the crowd, " that's not a proper stance."

Naruto turned slightly, catching a glimpse of pink from the corner of his eyes. Ah, Haruno Sakura. The head of the Uchiha's fangirls and in his opinion; a complete and utterly useless harpy. In the time he has spent trying to get to know her, she has been nothing but rude to him.

"Sasuke-kun, go and beat that baka!"

The blonde haired boy shook his head-disgusted at how the girls were crooning the dark haired boy's name, and settled back into his stance. Sasuke did the same-settling into the Uchiha stance (one taught to all Uchiha's once they were old enough to attend the academy). Sasuke smirked at Naruto again, motioning for him to come at him.

Naruto waited, his muscles tensed and ready to move at a moments notice. It was a test-one of patience, and Naruto knew the first blow usually gave the upper hand, but from what he recalled from Iruka's long lectures, as long as he could counter the first blow _he_ had the upperhand. The two stood, and Sasuke waited. And waited. And waited. Until at last, he had enough of the waiting, and he struck.

The Uchiha was quick-Naruto can give him as much, but Naruto was quicker. He had spent his childhood playing pranks, and that usually led to being chased around the village by anbu-the shinobi elite, and that gave him an edge over the other boy. Naruto waited, and at the last second and leaned back, his feet still planted apart on the stone pavement, keeping him grounded, avoiding the blow completely. He ducked out from under the second blow, and grabbed Sasuke's forearm, and bracing himself, _yanked_.

The Uchiha found himself being flung over Naruto's shoulder, and caught himself just before hitting the ground, stumbling a few paces away. He turned, and glared at Naruto, seething. And now, he was angry. He wasn't use to this, the sting of humiliation. He was an Uchiha; he was suppose to be the best of the best. But here he was, being beaten by the so called dobe.

Clouded by anger, he did the only thing he could do; he launched himself at Naruto-only to be humiliated again. Naruto, who had been watching impassively, twisted aside, and left Sasuke to fall to the ground. Hard.

Iruka shook his head, and stepped forward, not allowing Sasuke to embarrass himself further.

"The match, goes to Naruto."

There was silence at first, then yelling came from the group of girls, concerned for 'their' Sasuke-kun.

"Sasuke-kun are you alright?" One girl asked, batting her eyelashes, and for her efforts; a shove aside. The enraged Uchiha stood up, the girls flanking him, and pointed at Naruto, dark eyes simmering with anger.

"I want a rematch."

Naruto stared at him for a long time, then turned and left. He walked away slowly with nonchalance, leaving the Uchiha staring at his back. And Sasuke was struck by the resemblance, the memory of another person with similar eyes like his, dark and...lonely. He recalled how he had felt then, watching his brother walk away, but he couldn't find the familiar heat, the searing anger humming through his veins at the mere mention of his brother. And right then, and there he decided he would figure out the enigma that was Uzumaki Naruto.

~0~0~0~0~

 

She was back at her apartment, and thankfully, out of her henge and the jumpsuit, clad instead in a simple white kimono. The blonde girl stretched, slumping bonelessly on the worn armchair she had scavenged from the junkyard. She preferred her natural form so much more over her guise of a boy. In the other form, she felt clumsy-unnatural. She felt none of her usual grace as a boy.

"I just have to pass the exams," she murmured to herself. The golden haired girl had promised her jii-san that she would remain, for all intents and purposes as a boy. At least until she became a geniin.

"For protection," Sarutobi had claimed.

She sighed, seemingly slumping further into the couch at the thought of the exam. She had failed the exams _twice_ already. She had no chance. For all she knew, she might as well be stuck as a boy _forever_ , Naruko despaired.

The neatly stacked pile of scrolls in the corner of the room caught her eyes, and she pouted at the thought of the hours of studying that awaited her.

Coffee, she decided, she was going to need to stock up on _a lot_ of coffee...and ramen too. With that cheerful thought, she swung the jumpsuit over her shoulders in a practiced, fluid movement, henged, and started out the door.

~0~0~0~0~

The streets of Konoha was loud and bustling, filled with the sounds of merchants and civilians bargaining. As usual, on his way to the store-he gained a good amount of glares and endured a great deal of whispering.

By now, he was use to it. But it still never fail to hurt him, to watch other children run through the cobbled streets and get endearing smiles, but when he followed their leads to get looks of hatred. Humans, by norm are social creatures, so when parents pulled their children away, shopkeepers closed their doors, and shinobi turned their back to him it _ached_. But it also taught him hardship, and for that, he worked harder than anyone else in the academy that knew nothing but their cushy life-styles.

He shook his head, the negative thoughts falling away like the delicately spun webs of spiders, and stopped. She had arrived at her destination-a small shop tucked in between two other stores.

The bell above the door jingled softly as she pushed the wooden door open, stepping into the musty store.

"Ahh, Naruko-chan," a middle aged women greeted, stepping out from behind the counter. And Naruto hushed her, glancing behind his shoulder, "its Naru _to_ ," he corrected her, and the women laughed.

The women was beautiful, her hair; streaked with gray was pinned up elegantly with a comb and she was dressed in a plain-yet elegant blue kimono.

"Alright then, _Naruto-kun_ , what can I do for you today," she asked, her eyes crinkling as she smiled warmly at him.

The blonde thought for a moment, "a pound of coffee beans, some ramen cups if you have any," he paused, leaning across the counter, " and can I have a look at your... private wares?" He asked, shooting her a meaningful look, a beat, then she nodded.

"Of course, Naruto-kun give me a moment."

"Thank you, Kito-san."

While she disappeared into the back; presumably to grab the requested items, Naruto's gaze flitted around the shop. The shop was filled with wooden shelves pushed across the walls with herbs and exotic spices, and smaller shelves filled the middle of the room with simple everyday items. Kito's store was one that mostly saw shinobi customers, getting the items a shinobi would need, whether its food or her more secretive goods-the private wares.

"Here you go," Kito said, pushing the items he requested across the counter, and motioned for him to follow her into the back.

~0~0~0~0~

Emerging into the sunlight, he blinked several times, banishing the dancing specks of black from his vision. It was now late afternoon, the sun had reached the highest peak in the sky- and he had spent several hours in the back room, browsing through Kito's wares.

Kito had a rather expansive collection of rare scrolls, tomes and the occasional weapon. For his troubles, Naruto had gained several scrolls on the dying art of fuuin jutsu, a tome on the Uzumaki clan-something he had been astonished to find (he hadn't known he had a clan, nobody had ever informed him about it, much less willingly talk to him) and a katana he had picked up on impulse.

By now, the streets were emptying, merchants packing up the stalls, and people hurrying home before the sun set. Naruto sighed, slinging the brown canvas bag filled with his purchases behind his back, tucking a free hand into a pocket. He had no one to go home to, no one to welcome him home, and at the thought he slouched, seemingly carrying the burden of the sky.

"Hello, Naruto," a voice called from behind him, and he turned to see his Ojiisan-- other's knew him as the Hokage, smiling at him. He grinned, feeling a burst of warmth in his chest as the elderly man offered him ramen.

~0~0~0~0~

"Dammit," she cursed as she finished the last seal for bunshin, which naturally, failed. Again.

She had been trying for the past few hours, hidden in her apartment from prying eyes to accomplish the bunshin. But no matter how many times she checked, double checked or triple checked her seals, they were always right, and she couldn't find any other reasons why it might fail. And every time, her clones always appear sickly and pale.

She groaned with frustration, dropping into a chair, running her hand down her face. What had she done wrong? She _knew_ the seals were right...

The heavy textbook Iruka had dropped into her arms earlier that day sat on the table, practically begging her to read it. And she shrugged, pulling a mug of coffee long gone cold towards her and idly flipped through the pages.

_chakra_ it proclaimed at the top of the page.

_Chakra is spiritual and physical energy present in every living being, but only a select few-ninjas can mould it and channel it through Chakra pathways to do the impossible._

"The impossible?"

_One example, is nature transformation; changing the very property of  one's chakra into a element. The elements being fire, lightning, earth and water. But that, of course is requires advance chakra control._

Naruko stopped reading, twirling a golden strand of hair thoughtfully.

"What is chakra control? How do you control it?" She mused, flipping to the index.

_Chakra control, refers to controlling chakra efficiently and experience at channeling it. Common forms of chakra controlling exercise is the tree walking exercise, water walking and leaf concentration. These require mixing the correct amount of physical and spiritual energies, and mixing too much or too little can result in the desired technique failing._

"So all I have to do is master these exercises?" She asked in disbelief, then grinned. She knew what she was going to spend the upcoming week doing.

****  



	2. Chapter 2

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This was written on my phone, so the mobile version looks better. I apologize for any mistakes, I don't have a beta, and enjoy.

    In a secluded grove, a golden haired boy was sitting cross legged, eyes closed in concentration.

 

His eyes flew open, and he quickly formed the seals: _tiger, boar, ox, dog_.

"Bunshin no jutsu," he called, and as the clones appeared in a puff of smoke he held his breath in anticipation. Three identical clones appeared and he circled them, marveling. They had _everything_ ; the healthy flush, the bright orange jumpsuit and his whiskered cheeks.

 **  
**Naruto dispelled his clones, doing a quick celebratory dance around the clearing. He had spent his week practicing the chakra control exercises, rushing home after academy to grab the textbook then heading to the woods for practice.

 

He had mastered tree walking within the first day-he had kept at it from dawn till the next day. And as morning came, it had found him laying in the grass, panting with exhaustion with a satisfied smile on his face. Water-walking was a different story. Naruto couldn't recall how many times he had fallen in, unable to maintain the steady amount of chakra to stay on the surface. But it was alot. By the end of the day, he had gone home looking like a drowned rat-his hair plastered to the side of his head and his jumpsuit sodden and dripping, leaving a trail of water in his wake.

He wasn't particularly inclined to attempt water-walking again...at least not any time soon.

 **  
**He dropped to lean against a nearby tree, his head falling back with a dull thud against the tree trunk. The sky was streaked with gold, purple and pink, the blue receding as the sun slowly disappeared from sight.

Naruto stood up, bending down to retrieve the thick leather bound textbook, and headed home. The sky gradually darkened as he walked through the forest, retracing his path back, and the crickets not soon after, began chirping quietly. The streets of Konoha was empty, everyone had gone home, and the windows of the houses he passed glowed softly, casting shadows on the pavement. He whistled a soft tune to himself-he couldn't remember where exactly he had learned it, but when he looked back on his earliest memories, he distantly recalled warmth. Someone had been bending over him, red at the edges of his vision, and a soft voice humming the same song.

A soft smile played on his lips at the thought of the warmth, and he continued on with a slight bounce in his step.

~0~0~0~0~

The apartment was dark, and he switched on the light, stepping into the house. She dropped the henge as she bent down to peel off her mud stained sandals, no doubt from her water-walking attempt.

"Tadaima," Naruko uttered softly to herself, knowing no one will answer. By now, it was a habit. Going home to a dark apartment, and calling out a quiet "tadaima," to the oppressive emptiness. Dreaming for someone that would welcome her home, and smile at her. She knew it wouldn't happen. But that never stopped her from continuing the ritual.

 **  
**She dropped her jumpsuit into a small basket in one corner of the room; making a mental note to wash it. The textbook was placed tenderly onto the wooden table, and Naruko headed over to her small kitchen.

It was nothing special: just two peeling counters, a small stove that broke down occasionally, a fridge that was almost always empty and a cabinet. She opened the cabinet, standing on her toes to peer into the cabinet, cursing her lack of height and snagged a cup of ramen.

 **  
**The cup ramen was opened, and a kettle placed on the stove whistled merrily. Naruko tapped her fingers, drumming them against the scratched countertop. The water didn't boil any faster. She hummed impatiently. That didn't make the water boil any faster either.

 **  
**She sighed, and dragged the chair out, the legs of the chair scraping against the floor and collapsed onto it. She rested her chin in her palm and dragged a yellowing fuuinjutsu scroll towards her. She skimmed through it, not finding anything particularly interesting until a word caught her attention. The Uzumaki clan? _She_ had a clan?

_The Uzumaki clan of Uzushiogakure was an ancient clan both respected and feared for their mastery in fuuinjutsu. For many things that may seem impossible with taijutsu and ninjutsu was made possible with fuuinjutsu._

_For the Uzumaki clan, they valued Fuuinjutsu above all of the other jutsus. And it was because of how powerful they became with the use of fuuinjutsu, they were wiped off the world, but even so, it took three hidden villages; Kumo, Hidden Stone and Hidden Mist and as they fell, they took down three-fourth of their enemy with them. They were the leading experts in the field, so when they perished, their work followed along with them._

The kettle whistled, a high-pitched sound, jolting Naruko out of her musings, and she eagerly hurried around the table to take off the kettle.

"Itadakimasu," she half sang to herself before digging into her dinner, the scroll forgotten.

~0~0~0~0~

The clock ticked softly from somewhere behind him, and Naruto resisted the urge to twist around and check the time. He tapped his fingers against the desk to a silent rhythm, his chin resting on his hand, _just_ barely staying awake. Around him, his classmates had the same idea, gazing off into the distance, eyes glazed in boredom. Sasuke was the only one paying attention-and it was no wonder; they were learning about the clans that were involved in the founding of Konoha. And it just so happened the Uchiha clan was one.

"-one of the biggest clans...powerful....was the police force..."

The blonde haired boy fought the urge to sigh loudly. And what of the Uzumaki clan? He wondered, his mind drifting back to the scroll. From what it had told him, the Uzumaki's were an important part of Konoha history-the swirl on all shinobi uniform was the Uzumaki symbol: the whirlpool. Why wasn't his clan something taught?

 **  
**He recalled spending the past few nights reading by the dim glow of a candle-the villagers had gone and cut his electricity again. The flickering shadows danced on the walls as the night dragged on and still, he had continued on reading about his clan, hungerly absorbing the knowledge of his clan was known for.

"-then the Senju clan...founded Konoha... first Hokage..."

Wait...

Wasn't the Senju's distantly related to the Uzumaki clan? He squeezed his eyes shut, whiskered face scrunched up in concentration.

_The Uzumaki's were a prominent clan in Uzushiogakure, they were also distantly related to the Senju clan; thus the swirl on the flak jackets to show goodwill between the two villages. Hashirama's wife, Mito, came from the Uzumaki clan as well..._

Naruto gnawed at his lips, drumming on the desk. Should he?

Usually whenever he asked a question he was laughed at; his classmates-particularly Sakura, took great delight at belittling him. They would use anything to taunt him; from him being an orphan to his terrible grades. The golden haired boy sighed, raking a hand through spiky blonde hair-a nervous habit of his, and slowly raised his hand.

"He was a very-" Iruka stopped mid lecture, looking inquiringly at Naruto. It was rare for the golden haired boy to join in the class and participate, so when he raised his hand, Iruka was pleasantly surprised.

"Yes Naruto?"

"Why don't we ever learn anything about the Uzumaki clan?"

The classroom erupted with sounds, some, leaning over to their neighbors to question them and others laughing at his ignorance.

"Uzumaki clan?"

"That's a clan?"

" _H_ _e_ has a clan?"

"Baka, there is no Uzumaki clan," Sakura spoke up, glancing up briefly at Sasuke for approval, "you just want attention," she finished smugly.

Sasuke ignored the pink-haired girl, his face stoic. She wasn't worth even a glance-not to him. To Sasuke, Sakura was a mere annoyance. A civilian that knew nothing of the world, nothing of suffering and pain. All she knew was her comfortable life shielded by her parents.

Naruto shook his head, blonde bangs flopping into brilliant blue eyes, his face open and guileless.

"I do have a clan," he argued, nodding with conviction.

"My clan-the Uzumaki clan hailed from Uzushiogakure, we were wiped out, but it still took three hidden village to take us down. My clan is also distantly related to the Senju's and the first Hokage; Hashirama married Mito Uzumaki."

Iruka hushed the class, his gaze sweeping over them sternly, and they quailed under it, silencing immediately.

"Naruto is right, there was an Uzumaki clan, wiped out long ago, and as time went on, they were mostly forgotten. But they were famous, and first in the field of fuuinjutsu-which was what led to their demise, other hidden villages had feared they would get too strong."

Sasuke surveyed Naruto with his dark eyes, surprised yet again, by the whiskered boy. It would seem there was more to him, and he pondered, maybe... Perhaps the Taijutsu spar wasn't a fluke like he had been convinced it was.

And he belonged to a clan too. If what Naruto had said was right, that was yet another stunningly similarity between the two. Both of them are orphans that belonged to a prestigious clan wiped away.

Sasuke's mouth quirked up slightly in a tiny smile-just a mere twitch of the lips. To him, Naruto Uzumaki has became an even bigger mystery-one he was eager to solve.

~0~0~0~0~

 

Naruto wandered the streets of Konoha, enjoying the warmth of the sun's rays on his whiskered face.

It was market day, and the streets filled with merchants unloading their merchandises from canvas covered wagons and stall owners beckoning patterns to examine their goods. The air was filled with the spicy tang of exotic spices and the smell of freshly baked goods wafting on the breeze making Naruto's mouth water.

It was especially busy today, the nice weather causing more people to wander the cobbled streets of Konoha. He whistled a jaunty tune, weaving through the crowds-managing to blend in better with the flow of people.

Occasionally he would stop to gape at some of the rarer things-a quartz stone brought from Hidden Stone, a tome depicting history dating back to when demons walked on earth and so many other things that it made his head spin.

He caught a glint out of the corner of his eyes, and he stopped seeing a crowd forming a ring around two men. Both, was tall and lean, one of them dark haired with cold blue eyes, the other with white hair and piercing bottle-green eyes. The two men was holding a katana, and they locked eyes, bowing calmly to the other.

And faster than the eye can track, they jumped-landing a good yard away from each other, the wind stirring the dust up, and they surveyed each other, the katana's blade gleaming in the sunlight. They held the katana with a loose grasp, both hands wrapped around the handle.

The swords clashed, and the dark-haired man parried the other, twisting gracefully to dodge the white-haired man's jab. He returned the blow, the blades clanging, and Naruto watched, mesmerized. If he could persuade them to teach him, he could very well become a kenjutsu master.

After the fight-which ended with a draw due to the two men being evenly matched, Naruto hurried up to them while they were sheathing their katana.

"Would you being willing to take on a apprentice?"

Naruto asked, looking down the the ground, then back up, "I'll work hard, I swear!"

The two men exchanged glances, then back at him.

"Why do you want to learn?"

The green-eyed man inquired, quirking a brow.

"I-I want to get stronger," Naruto blurted, and realising his outburst looked back sheepishly at the floor.

"I want to prove to others that I am strong. I want to prove my strength, and to show the world my clan's strength."

"What is your clan's name?"

"The Uzumaki clan," and at this, the two men exchanged glances again.

"Alright."

Naruto looked up with disbelief, "really? You'll train me?"

The two men nodded, and the green-eyed man grinned, ruffling Naruto's hair.

"I am Atsuko ," and he nodded at the blue-eyed man, "and he is Aoi."

Aoi snorted, "just work hard kid."

Naruto grinned at them, "I will, I promise."

****  
  


**Notes for the Chapter:**

> The name Aoi in Japanese means blue and Atsuko means warmth, or kindness. Fitting, ne?


	3. Chapter 3

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Once again, I don't have a beta, so I apologize for any mistakes. This was uploaded on the mobile, so the mobile format looks better Enjoy^^

    The birds sang somewhere high up in the trees, and puffy clouds drifted across the sea of serene blue. But the scene below, down in the emerald sea of green was anything but serene.

 

 Naruto skidded back several feet, his feet planted apart in an attempt to stay grounded, but no such luck. His Sensei had sent him flying back several feet with a single slash at the air, and the blonde panted with exhaustion. 

 

"Naruto, heads up," Atsuko called with a predatory grin, slashing at where the blonde had been a moment ago. And he wondered how he had ever thought of Atsuko-sensei to be the nicer of the two. When it came to training, the green-eyed man was brutal.

 

Naruto twisted, his heart thumping as the katana's blade missed him by mere inches. 

 

"Come now, how are you to master the Katana if you can barely dodge my blows?"

 

Atsuko said as he suddenly appeared in front of Naruto again, forcing the blonde to bend backwards to avoid a painful demise. 

 

From his perch in the tree, Aoi watched, his normally cold eyes dancing with amusement as he watched his friend torment their apprentice. 

 

The two men had taken to splitting up his training with Atsuko teaching him agility in the most inhumane way possible: going after Naruto with his katana and making him dodge every blow. He also taught him how to handle the katana, go through the stances and would later on, to develop his own kenjutsu style. Aoi on the other hand, taught him strategies with the blade-how to corner his opponents and seek out his opponent's weaknesses. 

 

"Stop," Atsuko finally called, sheathing his sword to give Naruto a break, and the blonde gratefully slumped to the floor, trying to calm his still rapidly beating heart.

 

 Naruto turned his head to the side to watch Atsuko with envy, even after a hour of running and attempting to slice him in half his sensei still looked perfectly composed-not even a strand of hair out of place. 

 

A rare breeze danced across his face, and Naruto closed his eyes, grateful for the wind. He allowed himself to relax, as the wind played with strands blonde hair, playfully rustling the leaves in the trees surrounding them. When he opened his eyes again, he noticed his two sensei looking at him, seemingly scrutinizing his features, and he flushed at the attention he was getting.  

 

"What is it?" He finally asked, and Atsuko tilted his head, still surveying the boy under intense green eyes, looking almost...puzzled. 

 

It was Aoi who finally broke the silence with his rich lilting voice, "You're under a henge," he paused, drawing a conclusion from the horrified look on Naruto's face, "aren't you?"

 

"How did you know?" The blonde blurted out, and clamped a hand over his mouth, blue eyes wide at the information he had just given away. 

 

Atsuko sighed with exasperation, running a hand through his hair-gesturing with his free hand helplessly at Aio, as if telling him to try to explain to their blonde apprentice. 

 

"It's the way you move."

 

Naruto blinked incredulously, "wait," he began slowly, "how does my movement give away the henge?"

 

Aoi shrugged, a single fluid movement. 

 

"It's simple really, the way you move is awkward-almost like you're uncomfortable in your own skin."

 

Naruto blinked again.

 

Aoi smirked, looking smug- not very different compared to the bird that had gotten the canary and Atsuko gave him an earnest look.  

 

There was silence. 

 

He sighed, "you want me to drop the henge," the blonde said, looking resigned at the thought of dropping the guise he had worn for so long. It wasn't that he didn't want to, no, but he just didn't wanted to have to be forced to show someone. 

 

The two men waited expectantly, and... _poof_

 

Within moments, a petite blonde haired girl was standing in front of them, biting her lips and feeling uncomfortably _vulnerable_.

 

~0~0~0~0~

 

     The air was filled with the sound of academy students relentlessly pelting the crudely painted wooden targets with kunai.

 

 A blonde haired boy was frowning as he examined his training kunai, mentally comparing it to others. Unlike the others, his was blunted-which had explained why they never stuck to the targets and always fell off not soon after; which was where the assumption of the whiskered boy being the 'dead-last' came from. 

 

It would seem, even after all this time, some of the academy teachers still disliked him. Naruto couldn't fathom why-couldn't pinpoint when exactly they had started, from his view, it would seem they had hated him all along--from birth to where he currently was. He had tried everything the first year. Tried being attentive, being quiet and subdued. Tried offering to help the teacher, turning in his work, yet, they still sneered at him, eyes flashing with anger and hands curling up into fists at their sides.

 

 They wouldn't actually lay a hand on him-the thought of angering the Hokage was too frightening for them. But they didn't hesitate to make his life harder, to isolate him from the rest, give him the blunted kunais and much harder tests.

 

Naruto tested the weight of the kunai, holding it between two fingers he aimed. And threw it, a unnoticeable flick of the wrist. Before it even reached the target Naruto knew it was futile, the blade was simply too blunted, and it hit the target and fell to the flagstone with a loud clatter, drawing attention to Naruto's failure. 

 

"Is that all you can do Naruto-baka?" Sakura called out from where she was standing, looking unusually satisfied at the thought of humiliating him. She smirked, tossing her long locks over her shoulder, watching him for his reaction-reminding him of a vulture, waiting for a sign of weakness and swooping in for the kill. 

 

The other students looked on, unwilling to stand between the 'dead-last' and the pink haired girl. They knew standing with Naruto would incur the wrath of the teacher standing to the side, watching the exchange with a satisfied glint in his eyes. And so they just watched on, knowing how this would end.

 

"I mean," she began innocently, staring at her nails, "I knew you were useless, but how can someone mess up that badly?" 

 

Naruto stayed silent, his bangs shadowing his face, hands clenched, and knuckles white. 

 

Sasuke watched on, his expression unreadable. Normally, he couldn't have cared less, but for some reason... 

 

No. 

 

Naruto can handle himself. And he had never stepped in before, what has changed now?

 

"You should just quit the academy. There's no way _you_ would be able to pass the academy anyways," she finished haughtily. 

 

~0~0~0~0~

 

    The dark-haired boy found Naruto sitting on the worn swing, the breeze swaying him gently. Naruto was fiddling with the hem of his jumpsuit, looking somber, a sad look in his brilliant blue eyes. 

 

Sasuke hesitated to approach the blonde, and he scolded himself. Why was he so afraid to approach _Naruto_ of all people? He was a Uchiha, the scion of his clan, which, happened to be elite among the other clans of Konoha. He could do this. 

 

Naruto lifted his gaze to meet Sasuke's when he heard the dark haired boy approaching him. 

 

"What do you want teme?" He asked tiredly, reaching up to pinch the bridge of his nose, and the Uchiha felt an unusual stab of sympathy for the blonde. 

 

"Hn," Sasuke responded, unsure as to what to say. Comforting people was out of his depths, but he supposed he could at least keep him company, and so he sat down, leaning against the trunk of the tree. 

 

The two boys sat there companionably, in a comfortable silence, and that was the beginning of a tentative friendship. 

 

~0~0~0~0~

 

    "Heads up," came a shout, and Naruko quickly adjusted her balance, and twisted to the side, gripping the pommel of her katana with both hands spread evenly apart. 

 

She was out of the henge, after showing her two Sensei her true form several times, she had quickly grown comfortable around them. They, in turned grew comfortable around her. And if the normally stoic Aoi gave her small smiles and encouragements, no one commented on it. 

 

Naruko was dressed in a short midnight blue-nearly black kimono that stopped right before her knees and flared out behind her, cutting off at her ankles. The obi was a dark, rich red, and she wore boots that laced up to her calves. Slung around her waist was a thin black leather belt holding her scabbard. She had originally wanted to go for a white kimono-but for ninjas wearing white was an unspoken symbol for power, showing they were more than capable of doing their job without dirtying their clothing. 

 

 

The blade shone in the sunlight, the translucent silver fox stretched, it's nine tails curling up into the air. 

 

There was a momentary lull, and Naruko strained her ears, trying to catch her Sensei’s location.

 

 _There_.  

 

She caught the faint sound of leaves rasping softly, she turned slowly towards the sound, stepping carefully and meaningfully. 

 

 _"The blade is an extension of  your  soul,"_ Aoi-sensei murmured softly in her head, and Naruko took calming breaths. 

 

_In. Out. In. Out._

 

She whirled out of the way, bringing her katana up to deflect Atsuko's, the sound reverberating around the clearing. 

 

_In. Out. In. Out._

 

Sweat dripped down her temple, and she was dimly aware of her faltering strength as Atsuko pushed down, a fierce glint in his green eyes. 

 

She knew she was no match for him. After all, she had just begun several months ago, and becoming an accomplished swordsman took years of practice and experience. All she could do was outwit him.

 

Her eyes frantically searched the clearing for something, and she caught a glint out of the corner of her eyes, and side-stepped aside, the blade cutting down where she had been a second ago. 

 

Naruko feinted to the side, and began slashing around her rhythmically, her blade, a flash of silver as her mind raced to think of a solution. 

 

_In. Out. In. Out._

 

Atsuko-sensei didn't seem to be tiring to the untrained eye, but Naruko caught the discrete faltering as his stamina slowly wore out. She gritted her teeth, she could try to wear him down, but she was also exhausted. 

 

_In. Out. In. Out._

 

What happened next was a blur-and as she laid on the sweet smelling grass, she still couldn't tell whether he had let her win, or she was exceptionally lucky. Atsuko had stumbled, and seizing the chance, she got inside his guard, her blade running up against the other blade, and with a flick of her wrist, disarmed him. 

 

"Good-job," Aoi commended her, giving her a rare smile, and Atsuko gave a breathless bark of laughter, still wheezing from being disarmed. 

 

She twisted onto her belly, propping herself up, giving the two men a blinding smile. 

 

"Thank you."

 

Atsuko waved the thanks aside, and opened his arms, allowing the grateful girl to throw herself at him. 

 

"Thank you," she said again, muffled by the coarse cotton of his shirt, and Atsuko laughed. "It was my pleasure," he reassured her, his voice rumbling and  tucked her head under his chin. 

 

Beside her, Aoi was still wearing his small smile, and the three spent the rest of the day laying among the sweet smelling grass, simply enjoying what the day had to offer. 

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I usually make a attempt to put up a chapter every week, usually during the weekends, but if I don't, I apologize for the long wait.
> 
> Please leave a kudos on your way out


	4. Chapter 4

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I apologize for any mistakes made since I don't have a beta. I wrote this on my phone so the mobile format looks better. Enjoy and leave a kudos on your way out.^^

 Once again, Sasuke found Naruto under the gnarled embrace of the oak tree. The day was warm and muggy, pressing down on Sasuke and in the distance, cicadas chirped.The blonde was sitting idly on the swing, his feet swinging a inch from the ground, hands wrapped around the rope holding the swing up. 

 

"Teme," Naruto greeted the Uchiha cordially, and Sasuke grunted in return, settling down against what was quickly become _their_ spot. 

Surprisingly, it was the Uchiha that shattered the silence first, "dobe," he called.

 

The whiskered boy pointedly ignored him in favor of enjoying the soft spring breeze caressing his face. 

 

"Dobe."

Nothing. 

Sasuke sighed inwardly, "Naruto," he finally said, and the blonde looked up, a triumphant smile pulling at his lips. 

 

"Finally, I was worried you didn't know my name," Naruto teased, and Sasuke looked away, a light blush on his face for allowing the other boy to manipulate him.

 

"Hnn." Was Naruto's only reply, and they settled back into silence again. 

 

Sasuke poked halfheartedly at his bento box with wooden chopsticks, and looked up at the quiet whiskered boy, slightly unnerved by his startling stillness. Naruto was bent over a leather-bound book, brow wrinkled in concentration and the tip of his tongue sticking out the corner of his mouth as he pored over the creamy parchment in concentration. 

 

In his hand was a thin calligraphy brush-a thoughtful gift from Aoi. He took long, graceful brushes, flicking his wrist and Sasuke found himself craning his neck to catch a glimpse of what the blonde was doing.

 

He caught sight of a seal, and he frowned thoughtfully, _Naruto_ knew about sealing?

 

From what he knew, fuuinjutsu was a complicated art that required expert precision and care. To make a mistake usually proved to be fatal, and learning the art took years and _years_. 

 

"Got it," Naruto exclaimed giddily, tearing the page out and waving it in the air. 

 

"Watch," the blonde commanded bossily, rifling around in his kunai pouch and emerging with a kunai. Naruto gripped it, and in a single motion, sliced his palm, a thin red line appearing, blood beading out of the cut.

 

 Sasuke looked at him in alarm, "Dobe, what the _hell_?"

 

Naruto shushed him, and held his hand over the seal, allowing two drops of blood to fall onto it. The seal flashed briefly, and absorbed the blood. 

 

Naruto glanced over Sasuke, and he quickly recovered his normally stoic facade, feigning disinterest. 

 

"Hnn."

 

The blonde rolled his eyes, "it's a storing scroll-one keyed to my blood," he explained. 

 

"Hnn," Sasuke said again, an unimpressed look on his face, but the glint in his eyes had already given him away. 

 

"If you want, I can make you one," Naruto offered shyly. He had never offered anything to _anyone_ in fear of rejection, but he supposed, just _this one_ time he could extend an olive branch. 

 

There was a pause. Then, it came, soft and unbidden.

 

"Thanks."

 

~0~0~0~0~0~

 

 

The wind came as a roaring gale, whistling loudly in her ears, and Naruko laughed throatily, free and _wild_.

 

The trees bent with the wind, and leaves rustled, the wind sweeping up their fallen comrades and carrying them on their journey. Naruko's dark kimono flapped playfully with the wind, and loose strands of hair flew into her face. 

 

She had snuck off into the woods that day, her two sensei having given her a day off, and she wandered aimlessly, switching directions as she pleased. 

 

The comforting weight of her sealing scroll-punctured with a hole and looped through with some spare string she had found bounced against her thigh. She had sealed her katana in the scroll earlier before leaving as an percussion.

 

The air was heavy and humid, and she could smell the faint smell of ozone being carried with the wind. Naruko soon stopped by a lake-one hidden deep within the forest. She had stumbled upon it by chance years ago, and from then on, visited whenever she had the chance. 

 

 Ripples created by the wind disrupted the glassy lake, and she smiled, leaning down to unlace her boots, tossing it onto the fragrant summer grass. The blades of grass waved soothingly with the gale, and tickled her ankles as she headed down towards the lake. 

 

Along the way, her kimono was dropped down around her ankles, and she stepped out of it daintily. The kimono was expensive-and she didn't want to risk dirtying it during her water-walking practice.

 

She shivered as she dipped her foot into the lake-the water was cold- too cold to swim in. She shrugged, but she supposed with would motivate her to not fall in. 

 

Naruko focused on her chakra-a light shade of calming blue, and she allowed it to spread, closing her eyes in contentment as it enveloped her in warmth. Directing the chakra to her feet, Naruko stepped cautiously on the water. When it didn't give under her like she had expected, she took another step, and another, laughing happily the whole way. 

 

~0~0~0~0~0~0~

 

Naruto stepped into the still empty classroom-save for the dark haired Uchiha sitting at his usual desk. He looked around, and nonchalantly slipping into the chair next to him. Sasuke quirked his eyebrow at him, but stayed silent, allowing the blonde to sit next to him. 

 

The soft morning light flowed into the nearly empty class room, illuminating dancing dust motes in the air. The sun warmed the desks and chairs as it snuck in through the wide windows of the academy. 

 

The two sat beside each other, both immersed in their studies-Naruto, was once again experimenting with another seal, and Sasuke reading a clan scroll. For the next few minutes it was silent with the exception of the soft scratching of the brush, and the soft rustle of paper. 

 

As it continued, Sasuke found himself relaxing in the presence of the whiskered boy, his carefully crafted facade of a stoic boy dropping. The dark haired boy was slouching slightly, his chair tipped back on the two back legs, and he found himself relaxing further as the blonde started humming under his breath as he worked.

 

And it was this peaceful scene, that greeted the students as they streamed into the room, chattering loudly to their friends. They stopped, staring in bemusement at the scene before them, taking in the serene expression on the blonde's face, and noting, with a double-take at the dark haired boy seated next to him.

 

When the sound of chattering reached Sasuke's ears, he straightened, his emotionless mask quickly retaining it's position on his face. 

 

Naruto quickly packed his things away, biting his thumb and allowing a drip of crimson to be absorbed into the scroll; sealing away his sealing equipment. He wouldn't put it past the teachers, or even some of the students, in an act of pettiness to destroy his things. 

 

"Now the second shinobi war was-some could say won single-handedly by..."

 

~0~0~0~0~0~

 

The skies were azure, and down in the bustling streets of Konoha, sat Naruko and Aoi. She had allowed herself to be persuaded into being taken out to this quaint and small cafe under a henge of another girl as she had been unwilling risk her identity before passing the exam. 

 

To those passing by, they would simply see a petite girl wearing a gauzy white sundress that flowed down to her ankles with long brown tresses, sparkling green eyes and a ribboned sun hat perched on her head.

 

Naruko was sitting at one of the lace covered tables at an outdoor cafe-one of the small cozy ones that sold amazing coffee and croissants-a pastry from faraway Aoi-sensei had explained. She sipped delicately at the coffee, taking in the fragrance of freshly brewed coffee.

 

Aoi-sensei was teaching her how to analyze her enemies, and decided the best way to do it, was through practice, thus the reason the two were sitting at the chair. 

 

Naruko crossed her ankles, biting her lip as she stared out at the sea of people, trying to pick one in particular out from the crowd. _There_.

 

"Sensei," she called, tugging on Aoi's sleeved, and tilted her head, discreetly pointing out the man. 

 

"He's a shinobi, isn't he?"

 

Aoi nodded in approval, taking a sip of his coffee, "explain to me why do you think he is a shinobi."

 

Naruko hesitated, and launched into her explanation. "He holds himself with grace-" She tilted her head, "-almost like a predator. His movements are tight, and his arms close to his body so that in a fight, he can easily dodge hits."

 

"Go on."

 

"I see something shining from his pockets- which can easily be a hitai-ite. The clothing he is wearing is unrestrictive and dark-something shinobi typically wear. His eyes are also constantly looking around for danger-a sign of an more experienced shinobi."

 

Aoi nodded, reaching out for another pastry, "good work, now pick any civilian and tell me what you see."

 

She watched as a groups of boys ran through the throng of shoppers, pushing past and earning dirty looks. The air was filled with the aroma of buttery pastries, and she reclined in her seat, a hand coming up to block the sun, and she squinted.

 

She took a breath before starting, gathering her thoughts, and began, the deductions flying out of her mouth. 

 

"That lady is a noble," she pointed out, " her clothes are richly made-silk I think. Since silk doesn't come by cheaply, it is safe to presume she is a noble. She carries herself with a regal air-"

 

Naruko stopped for air, the pointed out the servants following the lady, laden with bags and bolts of silk. 

 

"She has servants as well; all carrying silks and precious stone, so she could also be the wife of a wealthy merchant," she corrected herself, and finished her deduction, looking expectantly at Aoi.

 

The blue-eyed man took an elegant sip from the cooling porcelain cup, "very well worded, though, there were several mistakes. She's not a noble, but a companion of a noble." Aoi said, pointing out the extravagantly dressed woman the lady she had mistaken for an noble was trailing after. 

 

As Naruko slumped in disappointment, a bright laugh rang through the air and Atsuko flashed a grin at her, plopping down gracelessly onto an available chair. "It's a great deduction for your first time," the green eyed man reassured, stealing a croissant off Aoi's plate. 

 

Aoi sighed with exasperation at Atsuko's antics, resigning himself to the fact that his pastries will be stolen. At this, Naruko giggled, holding up a hand against her mouth. (And years later, she would still remember the warmth of the sun, the sound of laughter ringing through the air and the smell of fresh coffee and pastries.)

 

 

 

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Mostly a filler chapter to show some Sasuke and Naruko bonding time. Does anyone else enjoy the idea of a delicate, but strong Naruko? I know I do.


	5. Chapter 5

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry, for the long wait-had a case of the writers block. Have you ever written something, then went back to read it and wondered how you managed to write it? Anyways, enjoy and leave a review?

The sun rose above the horizon of green, inching slowly up the sky, casting its golden glow over the sleeping village.The light crept into an apartment, falling over the face of a sleeping girl. 

Naruko mumbled in her sleep, and turned away from the light, burrowing deeper into the comforting warmth her covers. Her whiskered face wrinkled up in annoyance as the light over her eyes pulled her from her slumber. Flopping onto her side, Naruko glanced over at her calendar on the wall, a date circled innocently in red caught her eyes. 

Crap. 

Today was the exam. How could she forget? She wondered, rolling over of bed, berating herself all the while. 

~0~0~0~0~0~

Naruto arrived early at the academy when civilians were just getting out of bed and traders having just arrived at their usual stalls. The room was empty-even Sasuke, who was normally there before him-hadn't arrived yet. 

Naruto looked around the room-one he had been in for the last few years, taking in the dusty blackboard that Iruka lectured in front of, the neatly arranged rows of desks and the bookshelves lining the wall. This could very well be the last time he saw this room, and at the thought, giddiness rose. He allowed himself a quick grin, and sat down, choosing to immerse himself in sealing. 

"Naruto," came the call, and the blonde looked up, getting up to demonstrate his abilities when a pale hand grabbed his, pulling him back. Naruto followed the hand leading up to Sasuke's face. He looked curiously at the Uchiha and Sasuke quickly dropped his hand-almost as if he was burned.

"Good luck," he finally said, tearing his gaze away from the blonde. Naruto nodded, giving him a rare smile-a soft one, a smile he rarely showed around anyone save for Atsuko, Aoi and Iruka. 

Sasuke shook his head, getting himself out of his reverie. He was a Uchiha damnit, he doesn't get lost in brilliant blue eyes that was the color of the sky... He shook himself again, growling lowly. Damn that blonde.

~0~0~0~0~

He sat at his swing, scuffling his sandals in the dirt as he frowned, his brow wrinkling.

Around him his classmates were getting picked up and congratulated by family members, and he closed his eyes letting the murmurs wash over him. Naruto reran the events over in his mind-he had molded his chakra perfectly, he  _ knew  _ he did. He had done the jutsu so many times it was of second nature to him, but yet… Yet it had failed. 

He opened his eyes, sighing softly as he gazed longingly at the backs of the leaving families. The sun was setting, and soon he would have to return to his apartment-his empty, dark and  _ lonely _ apartment. Naruto ignored the burning in his throat, rubbing roughly at his eyes-he would not cry. No, he would not give them the satisfaction of seeing his pain, the satisfaction of knowing that they had broken the 'demon'.

"You know," he heard a voice began, and he looked up to see Mizuki, a smirk playing at the corner of his mouth as he stood-towering over Naruto. 

"There's another way to become a genin."

Naruto looked at him, his instincts screaming at him-don't trust, don't trust  _ do not trust him _ . And he takes a step back, small enough to be unnoticeable, his mind rushing through the possibilities of  _ why _ . Why, of all people, Mizuki was offering this opportunity to  _ him _ . 

He knew the chuunin had never liked him-could tell in his closed off body language. The flash of a sneer when he turned away at the corner of his eyes, the way he was subtly turned away from him and the look of disgust that crossed his face upon touching him. There  _ had  _ to be a catch. In an instance, he made up his mind.

"What is it?" He asked curiously, he would play along for now and figure  out his motive. 

As soon as Naruto had spoken, Mizuki's demeanor changed, and an easy smile was fixed in place of the smirk. 

"It's a special test, one offered to those that we think deserve a second chance," he spread his hands out in front of him, "it's simple really."

Mizuki paused, gauging Naruto's reaction, and seeing the curious look on his face he plowed on, "all you have to do is take a scroll from the Hokage's office, and meet me in the forest in an hour-an easy pass."

"Thank you sensei," he says with gratitude and turns on his heels heading towards the Hokage tower, now all he had to do was inform ojiisan of this development.

Hook, line and sinker. 

~0~0~0~0~0~

Somewhere above his head an owl hooted and took flight on silent wings, gliding into the night, and Naruto shivered, wrapping  his jacket tightly against him to preserve what little warmth he had.The leaves rustled ominously-almost as if they were urging Naruto to beware. He looked over his shoulder, half expecting Mizuki to burst through the bushes any moment. 

The moon had risen to its peak in the sky among the tiny glowing pinprick lights and it illuminated the small clearing Naruto was in. He knew scattered around the clearing was Anbu. They were hidden high up in the trees and  blended into the foliage after muting their chakra, in wait for their target.

He smiled grimly, briefly imagining the fury on Mizuki's face when he finds out that he was outwitted. The scroll he was tossing idly from hand to hand was a fuuinjutsu scroll-one the Hokage had given to him to trick Mizuki with. He was given the instructions to wait at the arranged spot and as soon as Mizuki appeared to stall him, allowing Anbu to subdue and bring in the traitor.

The leaves rustled harder, and Naruto adopted an excited facade to face the light haired chuunin as he landed soundlessly on the ground.

"Did you get it?" 

Naruto nodded eagerly, clutching the scroll to his chest as if it was his lifeline. 

"Did I," he paused, stepping forward eagerly, "did I pass?" 

Mizuki looked started for a beat, before he quickly smoothed over his expression, a kindly smile appearing. 

"Of course," he sooths, reaching out for the scroll, "just as soon as you give me that scroll."

Naruto dances teasingly out of reach, tempting Mizuki to step closer, his eyes fixated on the greed he saw in Mizuki's face. Taking the bait, he moves closer to the boy, now frustrated, "just give me the scroll first, then I'll give you a pass."

"But it was never about me was it?" Naruto questions, and Mizuki's eyes snapped up to meet Naruto's, understanding dawning in his eyes. And his lips contorts into a sneer as his poise changed into a predator's as he stalks forward. 

"So you've figured out that there was no test," he says, an underlying amusement in his voice. 

Naruto nods, eyeing Mizuki warily. He knew he was safe, after all, there was Anbu surrounding the perimeter. But, what was this strange pressure in the air? 

The temperature had seemingly plunged in a matter of seconds, leaving him shivering, and an unknown pressure pushed down on him, whispering to give up, to stay down. His legs were shaking, threatening to give out from under him and with great effort, he pulls himself together, pushing that niggling fear into the back of his mind. 

Mizuki laughs cruelly, "look at you, shaking so pathetically, what were they ever scared of?  _ You _ ? The fox? Don't make me laugh."

"Wha-what are you talking about?" 

An Anbu shifts uneasily in the tree he was in, signing for the others to move in. They couldn't let the traitor leak an S-class secret-not in front of them.

"That you're the demon fox."

The damage was done. And it was suddenly strangely silent, Naruto staring at disbelief at Mizuki, his blue eyes wide with horror. Then everything made sense-the disgust, the hatred, the break-ins at midnight, the anger and why he was left so achingly  _ alone.  _ He staggers, falls back onto the bed of cold damp leaves, Mizuki's words resounding like a tolling bell in his head even as the Anbu subdues and drags Mizuki away and gently helps him up. 


	6. Chapter 6

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey guys, sorry for the long wait, life has kept me busy and I caught the writers block-again. Enjoy and leave a kudos on the way out^^

“Naruto,” Sarutobi called gently, steepling his hands and leaning earnestly towards the quiet boy. Nothing. 

 

“Naruto.”

 

Still nothing, the stone faced blonde refused to look at him, his face turned towards the floor, the recent events replaying in his mind. His stomach churned, as Naruto reflected upon what Mizuki had growled at him as the light haired man was dragged away, spittle flying from his lips. 

 

_“Don't you know?”_

 

Demon fox, Mizuki had taunted, a twisted smirk on his face even as he was dragged away. 

 

“Naruto,” Sarutobi called once more with a steely undertone and the blonde finally looked up to meet his eyes, blue eyes shining with unshed tears and confusion. 

 

“You knew,” the blonde whispered brokenly, “you knew and you never told me.”

 

Sarutobi sighed deeply, and leaned back into his seat, unsure of how to broach the subject. “Naruto, we-” He paused and rubbed tiredly at his face.

 

“Your father,” he amends, “never wanted you to carry this burden. He wanted you to grow up, happy and unaware the weight you carry.”

 

_“Demon, not even fit to be human.”_

 

Naruto fiddled with the hem of the orange jumpsuit, his heart heavy and a lump in his throat. He just...He just didn’t know anymore. He had his entire world shatter before his eyes, every single belief he had went up into flames before his eyes. And there was nothing he could do about it.

 

“I don’t think I am fit to be a shinobi jiji,” he finally said, dropping his eyes back to the floor.

 

Sarutobi leans forward, his wizen face stern, but kind. “Don’t you dare say that Naruko Uzumaki. _Look at me_ ,” he says sharply, making Naruto look up, instinctively obeying the authoritative tone. 

 

“You may still have a long way to go,” Sarutobi says truthfully, but not unkindly, “and the journey ahead of you will be hard, and there may be many times where you are tempted to give up, however you cannot give up, you just have to keep going. Do you understand?”

 

Naruto blinks rapidly, and reached up to touch his face, his hands coming away wet-tears, he realises and he gathers himself together, pulling all of his broken pieces apart and manages a succinct nod. Sarutobi smiles with satisfaction and pulls himself to his full height holding a hitai-ate, the shiny metallic band gleaming in the dim light emitted by the candles. 

 

“Good,” Sarutobi says with approval, “then I am proud to formally present this to a Konoha nin.”

 

Naruto blinks rapidly, his tears spilling and scrubs them away roughly with the sleeve of his orange jumpsuit. He dismissed his henge for possibly the last time, the illusion falling away delicately like spiderwebs and in his place, where a boy had been moments ago, was now a girl. She steps forward, taking the hitai-ate and smiles tearfully at the Hokage.

 

“Hai, Hokage-sama.”

 

~0~0~0~0~

 

Naruko steps out into the night, the air cool against her wet face, the crickets chirping cheerfully, as if her whole life hadn't just fallen apart a hour ago. A wind blows through the trees, leaving the leaves to spiral up into the starry sky.

 

She turns her face upwards, her eyes scanning the stars, wondering if her parents were smiling upon her now. The stars shone cooly up against the velvet sky and she takes a deep breath, her breath hitching slightly as the tears comes unbidden once more. 

 

Naruko starts home, the dark night providing cover for her tear-stained face

 

~0~0~0~0~

 

Morning came all too soon, and Naruko found herself bleary-eyed, reclining in her seat, a cup of coffee warming her hands. The sun swept into the room, bathing her with a golden glow and setting her blonde hair ablaze. The night before had been awful, and she grimaced at the thought if it. She had stumbled into bed, stopping only to kick off her shoes before curling into a ball, feeling the weight of the world upon her. 

 

Now, sitting in her flat in the blinding glow of the sunlight she felt like the night before had been nothing more than a nightmare. She lets her eyes flutter gently close and savors the warmth of the sunlight. After several moments, she glanced up at the clock and let a weary sigh escape her lips as she pulled herself up onto her feet, swaying slightly from sleep deprivation.

 

The blonde haired girl pulled on a new kimono she received from Atsuko with a wink and a smile, parting with a “girls need pretty things don't they?” And patted her on her head before heading on his way. 

 

The kimono was a silky thing made of chakra silk-making it was silkier than what comes from silkworms and durable enough for nins. It fell off her shoulders and was a sky blue, completed with a golden eye-catching obi. The kimono stopped before her knees and Naruko sensibly pulled on spandex beneath. 

 

Her hitai-ate was tied around her neck, and she pinned up her hair with several needles she found lying around her flat. The shattered clock chimed loudly, and Naruko cursed under her breath, sealing her katana and tied it onto a belt that sat comfortably around her hips. 

 

She hurriedly pulled on her knee-high boots and jumped out the window, taking to the roofs to save time. Upon reaching the academy she was grateful to see that the doors had yet to close and she was not the last one there. There were several that she recognized from the academy, scattered around the room, chattering comfortably. She slid into the room, keeping to the shadows and took a seat near the back as she waited, absently playing with the ends of her obi and staring out the windows. 

 

That morning was hotter than it would be usually, so when Iruka finally arrived, it was to a irritated group of disgruntled children. The chuunin found himself searching the room for the boisterous boy as he started towards the podium. When he couldn't identify him among the sea of chattering to-be genins, he sighed and unraveled the scroll, the aged parchment cracking as he did so.

 

Iruka called out the names, stopping when he reached team seven, his eyes sweeping the room as he called out for Naruto. 

 

The room was silenced for a beat, before noise erupted and everyone craned their necks in disbelief, looking for the Uzumaki. 

 

“He had failed hadn't he?”

 

“How could he of all people be assigned to a team with Sasuke?”

 

Sasuke found himself, against his will, automatically scanning the room for the tell-tale orange he always kept within his eyesight. It was nothing he told himself. He just wanted to scout out the competition.

 

Naruko stepped forwards from the shadows, wisps of golden hair escaping from her bun, kimono swirling around her knees as the room erupted in noise once more.

 

“Naruto-baka! How dare you henge into a girl again!” 

 

“That's not Naruto, who the hell are you?”

 

Iruka found his mouth agape, staring in shock at the slip of a girl standing before him, before shaking himself, telling himself sternly to keep it together. It was too early dammit to lose his composure. 

 

“Naruto, what are you doing in that henge?” The chuunin finally said upon regaining his voice and silencing the room once more with a sharp look.

 

“Naruko.” The blue-eyed girl responded.

 

“I'm sorry, what?” 

 

“My name, it's Naruko, Naruko Uzumaki,” the newly christened Naruko said defiantly, proudly raising her head.


	7. Chapter 7

They sat silently in the now empty room-the other jounins had long ago arrived and quickly picked up their genin squad. They had each opted to sit with distance between them with Sasuke staring out the window stoically and Sakura throwing both mistrustful and disdainful looks at the blonde while Naruko sat with her brush and scrolls in front of her.

 

The golden-haired girl breathed in the musty smell of parchment, and began with long even strokes on the yellowing scroll. She couldn't afford to buy the newer scrolls at the moment as she was saving up for more of Kito’s wares; so she had to make do with scrolls she scavenged from what the library threw out. A corner was crumpled, and she carefully drew a sealing symbol around it, the tip of her tongue sticking out in concentration. 

 

As Naruko worked, Sasuke found his eyes sliding to her, and he berated himself for slipping. How could he have missed that the blonde was actually a girl? He of all people should have known, especially after all extra time they spent together recently-after long, hot afternoons lounging under the oak tree, not that the Uchiha would admit to ever _lounging (“Uchiha’s are regal and composed, you must keep your composure_ ”).

 

The girl was bathed in light flowing in from the wide widows, and he couldn't help but admire the way her hair caught the sunlight as he leaned back against the arch of the window. Wisps of hair was falling into her face as she worked, her cerulean eyes bright in concentration and the dark-haired boy felt his lips quirking up.

 

The door finally opened to reveal a silver-haired jounin that Naruko distantly remembered spotting around the village with one hand holding a small orange as he ambled distractedly through the village. He had also been an Anbu, hadn't he? She wondered, absently sealing away her things as she wracked her memory for gravity defying silver hair. She recalled flashes of a painted dog mask staring back at her, as he silently stood beside her much smaller form-a silent guardian, a warm and reassuring presence when she had been much younger and the villagers had been more daring. 

 

In those days he would loyally follow her home, leaving once she reached her flat. Though he never spoken to her, she knew he did in his own ways cared for her. It was the little things-a glass of water always within reach when she had been too short, food appearing in her fridge when she hadn't known how to shop for herself or the plant she found outside her door on her birthday. It had been a great many years now, and he was but a distant memory. Sometimes Naruko wondered if in her loneliness he had been a fragment of her imagination. Seeing him now released a torrid of memories and feelings.

 

Naruko found herself giving him a shy smile, wondering if he had remembered her. The jounin eyed her and his eyes closed in a brief smile of acknowledgement before looking at the rest of his team. The blonde’s smile grew when she realised that he had indeed remembered her.

 

“You're late!” Sakura yelled accusingly, a hand on her hip and another in the air, her fingers pointing at him. The silver-haired jounin gave her a disinterested look and his gaze went to Sasuke where he sat perched on the window still. 

 

“My first impression of you,” the jounin begins, “is that I don't like you.” On that cheerful note, he vanishes in a swirl of leave, a single piece of paper fluttering to the ground. 

 

Naruko hopped off her chair, the scroll bouncing against her thigh and she kneeled on the ground to pick up the note. The paper was pale and creamy, and as she picked it up she noted the indention of the folds and the slightly worn look it had. The handwriting too, looked faded and worn. From there, she could tell he had used it many times-most likely for possible teams he led in the past. 

 

Come to the roof, it read. 

 

“Well? What does it say?” Sasuke asked, moving closer to the blonde as he read the words over her shoulders. Sakura looked outraged at the lack of distance between them and wordlessly, Naruko tossed the note to Sakura. The pink-haired girl scanned the note and got to her feet, tossing back her hair. 

 

“Well?” She said impatiently, looking back at Naruko from the doorway, “let's go.”

 

~0~0~0~0~

 

The air was warmer now that it was afternoon, sitting damp and humid on her skin. The skies were a deep blue with the occasional cloud drifting carefree against the wide expanse of blue. From the rooftop the blonde-haired girl was afforded a view of the marketplace, tiny people wandering from stall to stall, meandering like ants.

 

Naruko sat next to Sasuke with Sakura on his other side. Upon settling down, the children turned their gaze expectantly to the jounin.

 

“Well, let's begin with introductions. I'm Kakashi Hatake, I like a few things, maa I suppose I also dislike a few things. As for my goals? That would be private.”

 

There was a moment of silence as all three genins stared at Kakashi incredulously. “You might have said nothing at all,” Sakura finally muttered once she finished gaping.

 

Kakashi only gave them a cheerful look in response, and Naruko got the distinct feeling that he was laughing at them. 

 

“Well, you there, pinky. You can go next.” He says, nodding at Sakura. 

 

“I like…” she trails off into a fit of giggles, throwing inconspicuous glances at Sasuke, where he sat with a sour look on his face as if he had been forced to suck on a lime. “I hate Naruko-baka and Ino-pig,” she announced, throwing a nasty look at the blonde, and blushed once more as she announced her goals. “There's a guy…” she says, her face matching her hair as she giggles to herself.

 

Silence ensured once more, and they sat watching Sakura blush until Kakashi pointed at Naruko, “alright, you're up.”

 

The blonde pushed a stray strand of hair out of her eyes, worrying her lips as she thought before beginning. “Well… I like Atsuko, Aoi and Iruka-sensei. I also like training and experimenting with seals. I dislike arrogant people who can't tell the difference between a prison and a prisoner as well as those who hurt my precious people. And my long-term goal? To become Hokage as well as a Kenjutsu and Fuinjutsu master.”

 

Sasuke gave her a strange look at the mention of prisoners and prisons, musing upon the oddly specific description she gave. Once the blonde was finished she turned expectant eyes onto Sasuke as they waited for him to begin. 

 

“ I like several things…” he began, but seeing Naruko’s dead-pan face at the the similar approach he took, he found himself amending it, “like tomatoes, space from annoying people and training. I dislike a certain man and would also like to kill a certain man.”

 

“Well,” Kakashi says abruptly, clapping his hands together as he rose, “now that introductions are out of the way, meet me at training grounds 10 for your test.”

 

“Wait, but we already passed our test sensei,” Sakura interrupts, her hand half-heartedly raised from habit.

 

Kakashi eye-smiled at her, his eyes curving up in amusement. “You did, but that was a test checking for your potential to become a genin. If you don't pass this test, I'm afraid you'll all have to return to the academy.” He says matter-of-fact, marching to the end of the rooftop where he balanced precariously on the edge. 

 

“Oh right, meet me at 8 and don't eat breakfast unless you want to puke,” he says over his shoulder, giving the genins a assessing glance before stepping off and leaving them to stare at each other in horror as the situation dawned upon them.


	8. Chapter 8

After the rooftop meeting, Naruko had ran for the woods to the usual meeting place, eager to recount the day and beg for some last minute training from her teachers. Somewhere along the way her hair had fallen out of it's bun and golden tresses streamed behind her as she ran, gleaming as it reflected sunlight. 

By the time she reached the glade, the sun was high in the sky and the air muggy and humid. Aoi was slumped bonelessly against a sleeping Atsuko, his eyes opened a bit in acknowledgment as he waved lazily at the blonde. Naruko smiled, a warm feeling in her chest at the sight of her precious people as she stepped forward and carefully sat down, leaning down onto the other side of Atsuko.

Training could wait. She felt someone stroking her hair-Aoi she assumed, and she let out a soft sigh of contentment. She still had a while until the sun set, and she found her eyes slipping close as the comforting presence of the two men lulled her to sleep.

~0~0~0~0~

There was a long pause as Aoi and Atsuko tried to digest what Naruko had just told them.

“And am I to assume that you won’t actually eat breakfast?” Aoi asked incredulously, looking composed as ever with an arched brow, while Atsuko looked outraged on her behalf. 

Naruko grinned sheepishly at them, “I won't now?”

At this, the two men exchanged fond exasperated glances with each other. Aoi sighed dramatically, and stood up, brushing imaginary dust off his clothing. “So, training?” He asked with a quirk of his lips. 

“Did you even need to ask?” Atsuko asked teasingly, watching as Naruko hastily untied her scroll and unsealed her katana with the speed of a seasoned shinobi. The blade glinted, the kitsune depicted seeming to stretch in the light reflecting off it.

She grinned with excitement, and stepped into position, the blood in her veins humming as she did.

~0~0~0~0~

Naruko groaned, rolling her neck and stretching in an attempt to get the kinks out of her muscles. She had managed to cram several hours of training before Aoi and Atsuko had to leave for their inn. By the time they finished she was panting, her hands on her knees and breathing heavily.

As she clumsily fumbled for her keys, and turning it to step into her flat she grimaced at the feeling of caked mud and sweat on her skin. She would most likely have to take a shower tonight, she thought, throwing her boots haphazardly by the door. If she was lucky and the landlord had not already turned off the hot water she could take a longer shower-a rare luxury. More often than not, the landlord would turn it off in spite, forcing her to quickly suffer through the icy water. It was only thanks to her prisoner that she was healthy and didn't catch a cold.

Her kimono was fine, being made of chakra silk she could rinse it and leave it hanging on the door to dry. She turned on the sink-cold water only, as hot water was a commodity, and stripped off the kimono, dumping it into the sink of water to rinse. Luckily, tonight it would seem that the landlord had forgotten to turn off the hot water. Naruko stepped into the shower and turned on the hot water, sighing in contentment as the hot water eased her muscles before starting to scrub quickly. 

As she stood under the hot water she let her mind wander off. Atsuko had walked her through several stretches and acrobatics for evading a high level shinobi. He had also corrected some of her sealing and provided her with some thicker tomes for her to study. Aoi had helped her with her use of kunai and sparred with the katana a few times to help her practice. 

She knew that Kakashi was the Copycat nin after perusing her worn copy of the bingo book she had scavenged from the library's throwouts. She would have to be quick and her attacks will have to be brutal. He wasn't a tokubetsu jounin and a previous Anbu for nothing, he is faster than her and has too much experience to be beaten by a mere genin-a new one no less. 

For him, she would need to unleash her arsenal of tags she made over the course of several months. She stepped out the shower, dripping wet and enveloping the small room in steam. She tilted her head to the side to furiously dry her long blonde hair, wincing as she caught the kinks and knots that formed. She would need to sit down later and comb it out she thought, making a mental note of it, before dismissing it and moving on to more pressing matters. She needed to go over the existing tags, and make some more along with scrounging up some more kunai. 

Naruko grinned mischievously, talking to Aoi and Atsuko had given her some ideas for a new seal, then she caught a glimpse of the clock and groaned. It was already one-thirty, and she only had seven more hours left. Luckily, she had one more trick up her sleeve. While she sat waiting for Mizuki to fall into her trap she had quite a few hours alone with the scroll, and so being the mischievous prankster she was, how could she have resisted? And so she spent the time learning the Kage Bunshin, and now, it would seem it has finally benefited her.

Stepping back now, she went through the hand signs quickly and ten Naruko’s crowded the small apartment. 

“Yo boss,” one said, stepping forward with a cheeky smile, “just tell us what you want us to do.”

The original Naruko felt her lips slowly curling into a smirk as she did exactly that.

**Author's Note:**

> Please leave a kudos on your way out ^^


End file.
